Official: Ford EcoSport bookings open

The hotly awaited Ford EcoSport crossover is slated to be launched later this month. While the interest in the crossover is high among car buyers across India, Ford is yet to announce a launch date, somewhat dampening spirits. Now though, some cogs seem to be turning with Ford dealers officially taking bookings for the EcoSport crossover. This announcement has been publicly made by Ford India's official Twitter account.

Apart from this tweet, Ford is yet to issue an official press release announcing the opening of EcoSport bookings. The exact details of the booking amount and cancellation policy is not known at this point in time. In India, the EcoSport will feature three engine options: a 1 liter EcoBoost turbo petrol engine, a 1.5 liter Ti-VCT naturally aspirated petrol motor and a 1.5 Liter TDCI turbo diesel engine. While a 5 speed manual gearbox is standard across all three engines, the 1.5 Liter petrol motor gets the 6 speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic gearbox as an option.

The EcoSport measures a touch under 4 meters in length. This length of the EcoSport allows select variants (depending on engine displacement) of the crossover to be classified as a small car under the Indian government's excise norms. So, most variants of the EcoSport are expected to be priced quite competitively, considering the excise benefits Ford India stands to gain. Ford has outfitted the EcoSport with an ample amount of kit, with even the base Ambiente variant of the crossover getting the following features as standard,

• Factory Fitted Audio with Bluetooth and USB support
• Tilt-telescopic steering wheel
• Electrically Adjustable Wing Mirrors 
• Front Power Windows
• Air Conditioning

The higher variants add a slew of features and safety equipment including ABS+EBD, Airbags, Steering Mounted Audio Controls, Automatic Climate Control, Push Button Start, Keyless Entry, Reverse Parking Sensors and Leather Seats. Click here to read Team-BHP's comprehensive review of the Ford EcoSport.